A Man’s Journey to Self-Discovery Leads to Confusion
Young Goodman Brown is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an author who was a descendant of people responsible for convicting suspects during the Salem Witch Trials. The narrative depicts Goodman Brown, a young man who leaves his wife to attend unknown business in the forest. There he meets people whose names correlate with the names of those who have been trialed in Salem. As the protagonist progresses along the story, he realizes that the entire town is a part of a devilish cult. However, in the morning, he is left perplexed about whether this cult exists. The story and its themes depict a man who is seeking enlightenment, but ends up confused and broken, alluding to the fate of those who judged the trials.
The Salem Witch Trials were a dark time in the history of puritanism, exhibiting appalling cruelty. They started with several young girls in a relatively small village of Salem who exhibited strange behavior. This caused the townspeople to search for those responsible for the witchcraft that befell them. These attempts were made to establish a sense of order in the community that has undergone great social and political turmoil. However, they have only led to confusion and distress as accusations grew out of control (“Salem Witch Trials”). These events have culminated in aggressive hysteria and frenzy, leading to many innocent people’s deaths.
This history gives the story of Goodman Brown the context necessary to understand his motivation. At first, he is eager to go into the forest, despite his wife’s hesitance to let him go as she stands “with a melancholy air” (Hawthorne 24). This symbolizes the judges’ initial eagerness to become enlightened and then clean the world from the devil’s influence. Next, the narrative provides foreshadowing for the event to come, as Goodman says: “the devil himself should be at my very elbow!” (Hawthorne 25). The religious motifs in the narrative are not accidental, as they point out that the actions of the villagers were inadvertently antithetical to the puritan virtues. The puritan set of virtues includes justice and order; however, the events of the Salem trials were far from just and orderly. On the contrary, they were filled with false accusations, unfair treatment, and chaos.
Further, Goodman meets a man who is referred to as “he of the serpent,” providing a metaphor for the tempting snake (Hawthorne 26). This man leads him to a gathering where he recognizes people who he sees as “his moral and spiritual” guiders (Hawthorne 27). This alludes to the fact that the religious mentors of the village have failed to provide the citizens with appropriate guidance in the harsh times. Consequently, this company ends up being “an inspiration of horrid blasphemy” (Hawthorne 30) as the Salem trails themselves.
In conclusion, the story shows the deceiving nature of the journey Salem trial judges conducted. They believed in themselves to be seeking enlightenment and fulfilling an important mission, but their struggle ended in confusion and pain. The lens of history shows that Hawthorne attempted to contextualize these people’s journeys through the story of Goodman Brown. The main character here serves as the pathway to the judges’ perspectives and the distress they might have felt during their mission.
Discussion Board Post
In the Land of Free is a story written by Edith Maude Eaton, a Canadian writer. It connects with the history of America as it depicts the unjust treatment that many immigrants have faced. It touches on the subject of bureaucracy and how it harms people. The bureaucracy is what allows a child to be taken away from his parents. The bureaucracy is what causes the child’s mother to become depressed. The narrative is a departure from the generalized portrayal of Chinese women at the time. In the story, Chinese women are seen as devoted and caring mothers. On the other hand, the history of America has had a tendency for a different depiction. Chinese women were perceived as carefree and incapable of deep feelings. The injustice portrayed in the story and the mother’s actions prove the contrary.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown depicts a controversial part of puritan history. The story connects to the American history of the witch trials. It shows that the people who judged the suspects were also affected by these events. Goodman Brown discovers that people whom he admires are sinful. This creates a sense of confusion and distress in him. The history of America is rich with such internal conflicts. People were conflicted about whether it was moral to drive native Americans away. The question of Indian genocide is mentioned in the book as well. Goodman Brown is afraid of Indian shamans, but the danger comes from within. It is the morally superior Salem villagers that turn out to be devilish.
The Red Convertible is a gripping story by Louise Erdrich. It develops the themes of fallout after the Vietnam war. The story is incredibly powerful in describing how the war irreversibly affected its participants. The most captivating aspect of the narrative is the relationship between the brothers. Lyman is determined to bring Henry back to the joys of life. This determination makes the ending utterly devastating to read and absorb. Despite all of the attempts to save him, Henry succumbs to the current. The current is a metaphor for the troubles that haunt him from the war. Lyman sinks the beloved car after his brother has drowned. This shows that the war has made the joys of life meaningless not only for the soldiers but also for their loved ones.
Work Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. Publications, 2012.
“Salem Witch Trails” Britannica, Web.